Machine for fixing blasting charges.



UNH

OLIVER F. MALCOLM, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR FIXING- BLASTING CHARGES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER F. MALCOLM, a citizen of the United States,residing at J oplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for FixingBlasting Charges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mining, and has special reference to a machineto be used for forcing a quick setting coniining material into a blasthole to cause a blasting charge to be closely embedded therein.

I ith the above and many other objects in view, the inventioncontemplates a machine Iplrovided with a cylinder in which the conningmaterial is placed and carrying a discharge outlet adapted to be placedin commumcation with a blast hole, and a piston working in said cylinderand adapted to force the confining material through said dischargeoutlet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawing, wherein apreferred embodiment of the invention has been described andillustrated, like characters of reference being used to indicatecorresponding parts.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine showing thesame in the act of forcing the confining material into a blast hole.Fio'. 2 is a sectional view of the machine, the discharge tube beingdetached therefrom.

The present machine is a manually operable one designed primarily foruse where mechanical power is not available, and the inventioncontemplates in its general organization a portable stand or rest 10,provided with upwardly and outwardly diverging arms 11-12. The outer end13 of the arm 11 is bifurcated, and within such bifurcated portionsanti-friction rollers 14 are journaled, and the outer end of the arm 12is provided with an opening 15, the functions of all of which will bepresently explained.

A pressure cylinder 16, which is of a diameter to permit of its beingplaced within the bifurcated portion 13 of the arm 11 and rest upon theanti-friction rollers 14, is provided with a piston 17 carrying a shortstem or rod 18 which has a loose connection 19 with a shaft 20. Theshaft 2() is screw threaded, and projects through, and beyond, a detach-Specification o Letters Patent.

Application filed February 11, 1908.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 415,828.

able cylinder end cap 21 carrying a hand wheel 22 and a central nutextension 23 which is provided withA a threaded opening 24, and has itsend rigidly fastened within the opening 15 in the arm 12 by means of thenuts 24e-25.

The front end portion of the cylinder 16 is provided with a threadedfeed inlet 26 which may be closed by means of a threaded plug or closure27, and also with a threaded cleanout opening 28 which may be providedwith a threaded plug or closure 29.

An end cap 30 is detachably connected with the end of the cylinder 16adjacent to the feed inlet 26, and carries a tube extension 31 providedwith a flanged end 32 having a loose coupling 33 with a similarly shapednipple 34 of a flexible tube 35.

The described machine has special utility in connection with confiningblast charges in opening such as 36, in which an end pocket 37 has beenpreviously formed by means of the usual preliminary blasting charge. Andin the operation of the machine the end of the flexible tube is passedthrough the said blast opening or hole 36 and into the end pocket 37intowhich. the main blastcharge 38 has been previously placed with itsfuse 33a projecting out beyond the entrance to the main opening.

The confining material used in the inachine is preferably liquid cementor concrete owing to their quick setting qualities, and the same isintroduced into the cylinder 16 through the feed inlet 26, and a rotarymotion is applied to said cylinder through the medium of the hand wheel22, causing the same to be moved longitudinally rearwardly on the fixedthreaded shaft 20. The piston 17, owing to its loose coupling 19 withthe sh aft 20, may rotate with the cylinder 16 but cannot movelongitudinally therewith, thereby causing the end of the cylindercarrying the confining material to approach said piston, which resultsin said confining material being forced out of the cylinder through thedischarge tube 35 and into the end pocket 37 of the blast hole 36 withsuiiicient force to cause the material to be tightly compacted therein,and consequently embedding the main blasting charge 38. A continuedmovement of the cylinder will of course cause the material to iiowthrough the said discharge tube, with the result that said tube slowlyretreats through said blast opening, while continuing IOO its dischargeof confining material until thev It will be understood that through theloose coupling connection 33 between the cylinder 16 and theflexibledischarge tube 35, the rotary movement of the cylinder is notcommunicated to the tube, therehy permitting its discharge end to remainin the blast hole 36 until the pressure of the discharge material forcesit slowly to retreat. lt will also be understood that the rotation ofthe cylinder 16 in addition to causing itself to be moved longitudinallyon the fixed threaded shaft, also serves to effectively mix theconfining material which has been fed into the cylinder prior to beingforcibly discharged therefrom by the piston 17 lt will be furtherunderstood that as the only portion of the material discha; 'ingapparatus which comes in contact with the blast opening and the blastingcharge therein is of soft material, such as rubber or the like, there isno danger' of a premature explosion during the tamping, or packingoperations, or destruction of the blast fuse, such as fre quently occurswhen tamping tools of wood or metal are used to pack the confiningmaterial with the resulting danger of sparks being caused by the contacttherewith of gravel or other gritty material, or the constant rubbingagainst the said fuse.

The invention has been shown as used for forcing the confining materialinto an opening the entrance of which is lower than its end, suchillustration being used to show the special utility thereof when theforces of gravity have to be contended with. lt is to be understood,however, that the invention is also well adapted for use in connectionwith blast openings which incline below the horizontal, in which casethe pressure exerted upon the material by the piston will be ample tocause said material to be tightly compacted in all parts of the opening,thereby dispensing with the usual manual tamping and packing.

l claim:

l. A machine for fixing blasting charges comprising a rotating andlongitudinally movable material mixing and feeding cylinder, astationary piston, and a discharge outlet.

2. A machine for iixingblasting charges comprising a support or standcarrying arms, one of which is bifurcated, bearing devices in saidbifurcated arm, a cylinder resting on said bearing devices, a piston insaid cylinder carrying an extended shaft, the end of which is fastenedto one of the arms of the stand or support, means for imparting alongitudinal and rotary movement to the cylinder to effect a mixing andfeeding of the material, and a discharge outlet carried by said cylineder.

3. A machine for fixing blasting charges comprising a support or standprovided with arms, a mixing and feeding cylinder supported in one armand provided with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet, a shaft fixed inthe other arm, a piston in said cylinder and having a swivel couplingwith said 'lixcd shaft, and adapted to cooperate with said dischargeoutlet, and means for imparting a l longitudinal and rotary movement tosaid cylinder to effect a mixing and feeding of the material therein.

el. A machine for fnxing blasting charges comprising a support or standprovided with arms, a mixing and feeding cylinder supported in one ofsaid arms and provided with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet, athreaded shaft fixed in the other of said arms, said threaded shaftbeing extended into said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having` aswivel connection with said threaded shaft and adapted to cooperate withsaid discharge outlet, and means for imparting a rotary movement to saidcylinder to cause the same to have a longitudinal movement upon saidthreaded shaft and mix and feed the material therein.

5. A machine for fixing blas ing charges comprising a support or standprovided with arms, a mixing and feeding cylinder supported by one ofsaid arms and provided with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet, athreaded sh aft having a hxcd connection with the other of said arms, apiston in said cylinder having a swivel connection with said fixed shaftand cooperating with said discharge outlet, and a hand wheel carried bythe cylinder and adapted to communicate a rotary movement thereto tomove the cylinder' longitudinally on the threaded fixed shaft to mixand. feed the material therein.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

OLIVER F. MALCOLM.

lWitnesses B. H. ESTERLY, J. D. Pitnxnvs.

